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still hungry after all these years

Comfort food

Most questions of food authenticity — am I eating/fixing the real deal? — fall away when the topic is comfort food.

So it is with me and Mexican food. I don’t care if it’s “really” Tex-Mex, or “really” Mexican American. I like an easy BYOB dinner at El Rodeo in Lemoyne, like enchiladas poblano with a bottle of Red Bicyclette. At home, when we’re stuck for a quick dinner, we make do with huevos rancheros … red-leaf lettuce and chopped scallion on a flour tortilla, an egg fried over-easy and gently laid on top with salsa.

For a cozy Saturday night, we settle in with Black Bean Torte:

2-4 cups of cooked black beans
1-2 jalapenos, minced

Puree together in a food processor, then saute in a large pan for 5 minutes. Turn the oven on to 400.

On a greased cookie sheet, place a tortilla. Spoon the bean mixture on top to cover, then lay down another tortilla. Repeat until mixture is gone, usually about 4-6 tortillas. Bake for 20 minutes, or until top is golden with a few brown spots.

Remove the torte from the oven and let it rest for five minutes. Cut into wedges, top with sour cream and salsa, and serve.